OT: What Are You Reading?

The Inferno by Dante Alighieri

Currently finishing off “The Bible.”  I figured that despite not believing it, it was probably one of the more important books I could read.  After all, it’s only left its influence all over Western thought, culture, music, history and art.  Only have around another 200 pages left in it, then I can move on to something else.

Next book is probably going to be “The Basic Works of Aristotle.”  I picked up a couple of books by the same author @Sinister Topiary is reading, Slavoj Zizek, and while I enjoyed his writing when he was talking pop culture, his philosophy writings leave me totally lost due to my lack of proper vocabulary for it.  I decided I was going to start off with the old Greek and Roman philosophers, and try and work my way up through things.  I figure by the time I get up to contemporary philosophers, I should know the appropriate terms.

For competition, I suddenly got the urge to read “Romance of the Three Kingdoms,” yesterday, after playing some Dynasty Warriors 7.

@Vito445  Which version are you reading?  “The Divine Comedy” is one of my favorite books, but I felt like the footnotes in the Penguin edition made it a lot more enjoyable.  It was pretty fun reading about all the references he put in there to his political and theological enemies.

@shikitohno I am reading the Signet Classics version, is has quite extensive footnotes placed at the end of every chapter, can’t do without them, especially in a translation.

Footnotes are always helpful for stuff like that.  As I recall, the Penguin version in “The Portable Dante” just has them at the bottom of the page, which I find a lot more convenient.  A couple months ago, I finished reading a copy of “The Master and Margarita,” which had all the footnotes in one section at the back of the book.  Would drive me mad while I was reading it, but they made the book a lot more enjoyable.

@bob page not found?

a dance with drangons  by george rr martin

but i keep rereading terry pratchetts work just gone back to read his snuff agan…

http://www.booksie.com/other/short_story/robert_owen/the-document I added a picture and it ruined the old link. changed the first link too. Both should work now. :slight_smile:

Three Chords for Beauty’s Sake and One To Pay the Rent…biography of Artie Shaw

Dublin phonebook. Looking for funny names.

Rereading Brave New World

Game of Thrones

Botchan by Natsume Soseki

Fearless Golf by Dr. Gio Valiante

@Xander Song of Ice and Fire is the novel series name. GofT, same name as the show is the first book.

Yeah I’m going to get those SoIE books and read them. Seems to be a strong trend towards it here for sure Fantasy has been disappointing to me ever since Tolkien. This seems something new though, the show is fascinating me, I guess because I like all the political intrigue,tactics, etc, and its not too heavy on the fantastical element. Need to read some Zizek too, smart dude for sure, but I’ve been putting of reading serious books lately.

@shikitohno: As a philosophy grad, I’m not sure I would recommend reading Aristotle first to get a start in philosophy.  Aristotle’s “works” are actually lecture notes from his student that were translated back a forth a few times over the centures.  They are notoriously difficult to read, though immensely fascinating if you can stomach it.  If you are wanting to get a good ground in philosophy by reading on your own, I’d recommend starting in the middle.  Check out Descartes, Locke, Hume, Leibniz & Hobbes.  If you really want to start at the Greeks, check out Plato or get a good collection of the Pre-Socratics.  Don’t get me wrong, I love Aristotle, but he’s not nearly as approachable as some of the others.

I just finished Clash of Kings and am waiting for a copy of Storm of Swords.
In the meantime I’m reading Darwin’s Dangerous Idea by Daniel Dennett

Thomas Hobbes is buried 7 miles from me, in a hamlet called Ault Hucknall. George Stephenson is buried in Chesterfield, in a church just off the “doughnut” roundabout, as everybody calls it. And somewhere on my grandma’s side we are related to Florence Nightingale. Sorry to be totally OT, just thought I’d have a ramble lol.

Stefan

I’ve seen a documentary called Darwin’s Dangerous Idea didn’t know it was also a book, I’m going to look into getting that one.

Just finished Under the Dome by Stephen King…outstanding story.  When King is on his game there is no one better.

@BigSnoot McSnuff  - You’re right, Under the Dome was great.

I’m about halfway through Stephen King’s 11/22/63.